Harraka ready to balance life at racetrack, in college

Growing up, you're often told you can't have it all, nor can you have it both ways.

Making choices and sacrifices are unavoidable, but 18-year-old Paul Harraka is determined to have it all and have it his way.

This summer, the New Jersey native intends to chase a promising NASCAR career and a college education, both on separate coasts and both equally important to him and his family.

Harraka

An admitted double-booker and intense competitor, Harraka's journey to becoming NASCAR's brightest star begins Saturday in Roseville, Calif., at All-American Speedway. Here he will start his season competing in NASCAR's Whelen All-American Series for Bill McAnally Racing.

And while he's racing Late Model cars in California on the weekends, Harraka will hit the books at Duke University during the week; come August, he'll regain his rookie stripe as a campus freshman.

His bi-coastal lifestyle at times might be enough to make Harraka bi-polar.

That said, the routine isn't entirely foreign to him. Last season, Harraka maintained the same pace, more than 18 coast-to-coast trips, California to Carolinas, and finished second in the NASCAR Track Championship Points race and was honored as rookie and driver of the year for his participation with the NASCAR-supported Drive for Diversity program.

"I've been doing this for so long that it just seems normal to me," said Harraka, who started racing go-karts when he was 9. "I can't remember the last time I was in school on a Friday, and I usually missed Thursdays as well."

But that was high school, and college has its unique set of demands.

"With me being in North Carolina and my crew being in California, it makes things harder, but Bill McAnally has a great race team and they go out of their way to help make things run smoothly," Harraka said. "Many times after the race I am being debriefed by my crew chief while I'm changing out of my driving suit in the rental car."

On the positive side, his intense travel schedule may afford him a trip around the world from what he can gain in frequent-flyer miles.

"I guess the funniest thing is watching the looks on the TSA workers' faces when they inspect my bags and find Penske Shocks, Aim Data Acquisition Systems and Holley carbs in my carry-on bags," he said. "But by now most of them know me by name."

Harraka, with the support of his father who built engines in the '70s and '80s, won nearly every title possible in regional and national go-kart competitions -- 152 go-kart races, 13 national championships and six worlds. (Continued)